Awake-Dreaming Differential Technique (ADD)

[dolphin]

Okay, I've put a lot of thought into this technique (maybe too much thought). I believe I've gotten this lucid dream induction technique to the point where I can't figure out how to improve it much more! This technique, which I've named the Awake-Dreaming Differential Technique, works by subconciously separating the world where we're awake from the dreaming world, subconciously taking cues that one is awake, subconciously taking cues that one is dreaming, and by subconciously using these cues to point out and memorize differences between being awake and dreaming. It seems reasonable to conclude that the more one can subconciously differenciate between being awake and dreaming while one is in a dreaming mindset, the higher chance that one will have of becoming lucid while dreaming. Here's the technique step by step. I'll list each step and then I'll explain my reasoning behind each step. ADD technique 1.Throughout the day, if you're in a position where you don't need to concentrate much, think "I'm awake" in between breaths. Try to not think about anything else. Try to look around if you can so you can be more aware of your surrondings. A good place to do this is when you're walking around outside, preferably in a busy public area. The more you can do this, the better. 2.When you're ready to go bed, relax and clear your mind. Before closing your eyes to go to sleep, think "When I close my eyes to enter the dreaming world, anything will be possible". 3.Close your eyes and think "I'm dreaming" in between breaths. Try to not think about anything else. Keep doing this until you get distracted and go to sleep as you normally would. 4.When you're dreaming, whether you're lucid or not, try to be as aware as you can of your surrondings. If you happen to be lucid, think "I'm dreaming" in between breaths (if you can breathe). Try not to think about anything else. Look around if you can so you can be more aware of your surrondings. 5.When you wake up from your dream, without doing a reality check, recall or write down in your dream journal all the things about your dream that wasn't realistic. The more things you can recall, the better. 6.After you're done with your dream journal or when you're ready to start your day, do a reality check and think "I'm awake". Repeat 1-6 as desired. Start with #6 and repeat 1-6 if you skip a day or more. Optional-If you want to work on your visualization or daydream while you're awake, be sure to first think,"As I enter the dreaming world, anything will be possible" beforehand and think,"I'm awake" afterward. Heres my reasoning behind each step 1.We are in awake mode here and we want our subconsious mind to take cues that we are indeed awake. We want to try not to think about anything else because anything else might cause the subconcious to think about something else. We want to be sure we think in between breaths so we have a minimal amount of tension in our body which might also interfere with what we want the subconcious to think. We want to try to look around so our subconcious can create more reasons why we're awake. 2.We do this because we want our mindset to enter the sleeping or dreaming world from the world where we're awake. We want to believe anything is possible because it will improve our dream control. 3.This is done because we want to further prepare our mind for dreaming world. I believe we get distracted from thinking "I'm dreaming" when the thought has sufficiently sunk in and our mind doesn't feel the need to think about it anymore. 4.The reasoning behind this is exactly the same as #1 only we are in the dream world rather than the real world. 5.What we're doing here is consciously thinking about the differences between the dream world and the real one so our subconcious can too. We don't want to do a reality check because we want to stay in a dreaming mindset as much as we can so our subconcious could use the differences it creates between the real world and the dreaming world while we're dreaming. This way our subconcious mind could use this information to help make our concious mind lucid while dreaming. 6.Now we switch our mindset to the real world so it stays separate from the dreaming one. If our subconcious confuses the real world from the dreaming one before it creates the differences between the two, the technique won't work as well. Optional-The same as #6 only vise-versa. I believe this technique will work because it's basically just a combination of All Day Awareness, MILD, All Day Awareness while dreaming, and both conscious and subconcious Dream Signs created by comparing two worlds. I haven't completely tested this technique as I just finished it today. But, I'm really excited by the logic of it and I'm pretty certain it will work eventually. What I don't know is how long it will take for the subconcious to differentiate between the real world from the dream. I assume it would immediatly and forever memorize differences but I don't know enough about the subconcious mind to know for sure. I have a feeling if one used this technique enough then the subconcious would be able to differentiate between the real world from the dreaming one so well that it would cause the conscious mind to become lucid in any given dream a great majority of the time, if not every time! Maybe even for a very long time as well depending on how long the subconcious can memorize things. I am excited by that prospect! Is there any way for this technique could be improved? Would it even work? I would like to know what others think.

[PlanesWalker]

I applaud your effort, but I'm sorry to say that parts may not work... For instance, when you say to tell yourself that youre awake, how do you in fact know that you are awake? You must establish this first. I've had many many Dreams where I was convinced I was awake, only to wake up soon thereafter. Your subconscious does whatever it wants so as far as controlling that goes, you can't. You also don't have to tell it to take cues because it already does this every single moment of every day. You need your higher consciousness to be aware of cues. In my opinion, your on the right track. It seems to me you've combined many of the techniques already established for Lucid Dreaming. I like that you want to practice RCs while you're in environments that are busy, this is how many Dreams are. You wanting to write down things from the Dream that are unrealistic is another technique people use, it's called Dream signs. They are things that appear in your Dreams more often than not that can signal you are Dreaming if you know how to spot them. Thinking in between breaths may be a little difficult seeing as how you must focus on holding your breath or not in order to do this. I've found that working WITH your subconscious will benefit you more in the long run when it comes to Dreams, so considering that it is your subconscious that controls things such as breathing and heartbeat I wouldn't suggest using that technique. I'm not trying to tear down your technique, not at all. I'm simply sharing with you my experiences and things I've come to learn. Read up on a technique called Lucid Living. In my opinion, this is the best way to prepare your mind for telling the differences between waking reality and the Dreamscape reality.

[dolphin]

Thanks for the feedback PlanesWalker! I agree that I didn't properly tell how I establish I'm awake. Step 6 should be step 1. I establish I'm awake by doing a reality check. I know I can't control my subconcious. I'm just trying to encourage it to think a certain way based on what I think it thinks when I'm conciously thinking or not thinking certain thoughts . That being said, I've probably been thinking too much about it, am over my head trying to come up with a new method so early with little knowledge and should continue reading up on stuff from expert dreamers. I'm still going to try the method I posted though because I think it will work for me and it can't hurt.

[LucidRaider]

I'm following this guide. I'l see how it goes. :p

[Indeed]

This makes some sense, but if our dreams seem like real life in non-lucid dreams, how would we realize a difference? I don't think I quite understand this.

[LucidMoon]

Yeah this definitely needs to have a reality test included!